The changing daylight hours thread

[Weather-history]

Lughnasad, the cross quarter day, the halfway point between the summer solstice and the autumnal equinox

[March Blizzard]

I really noticed it this evening. I went to the shop at about 20:30 and the sun was barely above the horizon. Unfortunately, summer's precious time is now running out as we move closer and closer to the miserable season. Hopefully the weather will play ball during the latter days of August and September, before it's too late for any significant warmth....

Do you not find anything appealing about the Autumn, Scott?

Whilst in a way I'll be sad to see summer go, I can't mourn it's passing.

The same goes for every season; variety is the spice of life, and although I may miss certain aspects of any season that's on its way out, I look forward to the unique features of the upcoming season.

Truth be told, I'd hate to live in a place without seasons. I might enjoy it for a few months, but I reckon the novelty would start to wear off after that. I do genuinely feel sorry for those that experience SAD.

[Weather-history]

At this latitude, you can't have your cake and eat it. If you like the long summer days but hate the short winter days or vice versa, that's the price you have to pay. You can't get one without the other. The only solution is to spend x months in one hemisphere then move to the other hemisphere and spend x months there.

The choice of land masses at 50+ degrees south, is limited though.

[Nick L]

I for one am loving the ever-darker evenings!

[toggerob]

Getting more noticeable now, especially going down to the local with the light just beginning to fade, as opposed to a month ago where it'd still be light at half 9. Only another fortnight before i'll be walking in the dark at 9pm.

[Eugene]

Hardly noticeable to be honest, still plenty of daylight and light mornings, September is when you really notice it and even then still over 12 hours of light.

Edited August 8, 2015 by Eugene

[Lauren]

Sunset is getting earlier and I don't like it. I always forget how much of a Summer baby I am until the nights start to draw in.

[I remember Atlantic 252]

not noticed it here yet, seems to be light for ever, and no difference to Wimbledon light levels, late sept is when it just starts to get darker earlier

[Nick L]

Street lights on before 9pm here now, even on clear evenings like this one.

[Costa Del Fal]

Still plenty of light post work in the evening. The depressing season is far off yet. Coldies need to wait a lot longer yet.

[Bottesford]

It's when it is properly dark by 7:30pm it gets annoying as there's next to no time after work to do anything outdoors anymore. Gladly there's still plenty of time yet.

[blitzen]

Just back from  my holiday in Deal/Kent yesterday.   I definitely noticed the difference last night by about an hour?   Of course it was cloudy and, I have to say, the house felt really cold in the evening.   I refused to put the heating on though!   Still, a long way to go before lights on at 3.30pm!

[NUT]

Was cloudy (with a little rain last night) Street lights we're on just after 10 to 9 (usually about 25 past 9 with clear nights)

[damianslaw]

Only started to notice slight loss of light in recent days, but not particularly so and only when we've had wet cloudy evenings. Looking at the sunset and sunrise times, it takes until about 16th August before we see more than an hour less light in the evenings compared to summer peak around 21st June, i.e. 21:22 sunset 21 June, 20:22 sunset 16th August. However, there after its a rapid descent and you do really start to notice change in light levels. So we have about a week left before the change starts to really take place.

[Nights King]

Only started to notice slight loss of light in recent days, but not particularly so and only when we've had wet cloudy evenings. Looking at the sunset and sunrise times, it takes until about 16th August before we see more than an hour less light in the evenings compared to summer peak around 21st June, i.e. 21:22 sunset 21 June, 20:22 sunset 16th August. However, there after its a rapid descent and you do really start to notice change in light levels. So we have about a week left before the change starts to really take place.

 

We are already losing around 3.2 minutes per day so we are almost at out peak rate of loss a day with the maximum at around 3.56 mins a day from what I remember.

[Nick L]

Yeah 3 and a half mins are being lost a day at the moment, gets close to 4 minutes as we approach the Autumn equinox.

[> mark]

It may slowly be getting darker but the sky tonight was rather lovely 

 

[DAVID SNOW]

It may slowly be getting darker but the sky tonight was rather lovely 

 

Lovely picture that!

[Costa Del Fal]

Yeah 3 and a half mins are being lost a day at the moment, gets close to 4 minutes as we approach the Autumn equinox.

Not long till the darkening rate slows down again.

[Relativistic]

Ever so slightly dim at 5:30am. The darkness is much more noticeable in the evenings however, with almost total darkness at 10pm on cloudy nights.

Edited August 11, 2015 by 22nov10blast

[Nick L]

Not long till the darkening rate slows down again.

 

Not long until we're all dead...just enjoy it.

[Turnedoutniceagain]

Back to my normal 5:10am alarm clock today - where's my sunlight gone??

[Lauren]

I know it's completely ridiculous, but the nights closing in honestly causes this feeling of dread within me. That is the effect of less daylight has on my mood. Everything feels better in the Summer. I wouldn't say I have full on SAD, but it's just a general feeling of feeling sad that the happiest I feel is going away for a few months.

 

I do enjoy those really cold dark winter nights when you can put the fire on and it feels really festive, but it's the long, 'bleh' days that really get me.

[DavidHamble57]

I know it's completely ridiculous, but the nights closing in honestly causes this feeling of dread within me. That is the effect of less daylight has on my mood. Everything feels better in the Summer. I wouldn't say I have full on SAD, but it's just a general feeling of feeling sad that the happiest I feel is going away for a few months.

 

I do enjoy those really cold dark winter nights when you can put the fire on and it feels really festive, but it's the long, 'bleh' days that really get me.

 

 

I agree. It does that to me too. it isn't ridiculous at all. It's related to hormonal activity in some people. So those who criticise us and say that it's just being silly to get a bit low in mood when the dark season arrives need to learn a thing or two about how the brain works.

[Bottesford]

Likewise - I'm far happier in the April-July period than at any other time of year (with Oct-Jan period the opposite being true). Definitely feel the light dropping and there being far less time to play with on weekday evenings. Still we've got time yet before outdoor life is restricted to a brief few hours on weekends only.

I also too do like those odd really cold winter nights, the odd bit of snow & the fun around Christmas. But the week after week after week of darkness mid afternoon, low cloud & the 'oh look its 3c again' is very trying indeed.